(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a computer readable medium.
(ii) Related Art
In the case where printing is performed using an image forming apparatus, such as a printer or a multifunction device, an information processing apparatus which is connected to the image forming apparatus generates print data for forming an image and issues a printing instruction. On a screen activated by a printer driver installed in the information processing apparatus, a user performs setting for the type of paper, a printing mode, and the like, and a printing instruction is transmitted to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus performs printing in accordance with the contents set by the user.
In recent years, in view of protection of global environment, for printing with an image forming apparatus, there has been increasing demands for resource saving (energy saving) for print media representing printing paper, printing toner, and ink. Some functions of the image forming apparatus are able to promote resource saving by reducing the number of sheets of paper to be used, such as a double-side printing function of printing images on both sides of paper and a collective printing function (so-called N-UP printing) of printing size-reduced plural images on a sheet of paper. Furthermore, there is also available a function of promoting resource saving by reducing the consumption of coloring materials, such as color ink and color toner, by printing a color image as a black-and-white image.
Nowadays, an unspecified number of users connected over a network in offices use image forming apparatuses connected to the network. These image forming apparatuses are managed by a specific administrator. In terms of resource saving, however, since the administrator does not understand business operations of all users, it is very difficult for the administrator to confirm the use status of each user and to promote resource saving.